Boltless car side.



W. E. FOWLER, SB.. BOLTLESS CAR SIDE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 191s.

Patented Apr. 21, 19.14.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

y @la uw M JM@ W. E. FOVVLER, SR.

BOLTLBSS CAR SDB.

APPLICATION FILED SBF120. m134 Pa'ented Apr. 21, 19ML 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

WILLIAM E. rowmmsn., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, -AssIGNoR To THE rowLEn CAR COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A ConronATIoN vor ILLINOIS.

BOLTLESS Incesto.

Speeiflcation'of Letters Batent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

To all whom it may concem:

-l3e it known that I, WILLIAM E.' FOWLER, Sr., a citizen 5of' the United States, and'resident o'f Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinoi's, have invented certain AnewV shown in my former Patent No. 962,425.

having a single interior sheathing, the.

sheathing planks running longitudinally of the car, 1t is customary to attach the planks to the frame by meansof bolts7 the bolts projeeting through slots punched ithe frame. Even if only every alternate plank is se- ;cgred to the frame this yrequires-a very large fnumber of operations in punching the met-al- .flic members, which operations not onlyincrease the labor cost but materially weaken the frame members. I have therefore conceived the idea of providing for means of securing the sheathing members in proper position and'maintainmg the same without punching any of the frame members.4 In practice 1t has been found not only desirable butessential that permanent means be asso-- ciated with the car whereby Vthe side planks may be kept in close relation to take up `shrinkage and warping. One of the most ethcient means is the inside stra extending from the top of the side planks down to the floor a tightening nut finding a bearing on the flange of the side sill. I have conceived the idea o f forming this tightening strap of an angular shape whereby to provide suit.- able lateral stiffness using this strap as a side plank retaining means, this strap or angular member acting in place of the usual bolts which passed through the metallic frame members. Preferably this angular member is gained into the boards in'order to provide a flush interior surface.

'lhe invention Will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary transverse verticahsection through a portion of a railway box car 'having my invention applied theretogFig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of theupper end 'section ,.Fig. 3 is an inside elev ation of the same; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 1 -4 of Fig.'3; F ig.'5 is a section on the line 5*5 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a side elevatlon of a railway car constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referringmore particularly to the drawlngs it will be seen that ina preferred applica-clon of my invention, the railway. box car includes a side sill 10, a Z-bar top plate 11, frame posts 12 and a single interior longitudinally extending sheathing consisting -of planks 13, placed edge to edge. AAs a means for entirely obviating the inecessity for punching slots or holes through the vertical frame members for securing the sheathing thereto, I provide an angular, vpreferably channel-shaped, interior post or tightening strap 14, this angular member being set into the planks to provide a flush surface on the inside ofthe car. The ianges of the channel are discontinued at the top whereas the web is continued and bent toV form a hook which passes over the top plank 13. A pin 15, may be passed through the web of the channel and through the top plank if desired. Asa means for holding the top in position and at the same time permitting a vertical movement of the top plank I provide a casting having .a top plate 16, and a downwardly extending leg 17, the leg contacting the angular'member 14, but permitting vertical movement thereof. This casting is secured by means of a bolt 18 to the web of the Z-bar top plate 11. At the bottom the angular member has riveted thereto a lround rod 19, with a threaded lower end, a nut 20, engaging therewith in order to exert downward force to tighten the sheathing. Preferably the rod 19 passes through both angesof the side sill 10, and thus secures the sheathing from inward movement at the bottom. The tightening strap and retaining posts such as described form the sole retaining means for the sheathing and naturally obviate the necessity for punching the frame and boring the side planks. Thus the cost of a multitude of bolts is eliminated together with the labor cost in punching, boring and applying such y bolts. Furthermore, the cost of assembling and repairing is much reduced and a practically 4boltless adjustable car side is provided.

Modifications may be made in the structure shown and such modifications as are within the scope of myl claims I consider and means located interiorly of the car and extending from the upper portion of said sheathing downwardly through the Hoor of the car for securing said sheathing in place,.

substantially as described.

9.. In a railway car, the combination of metallic iframe posts, an interior, longitudin ally extending sheathing, said sheathing on the sides extending from door to end posts,

anda plurality of angular shapes located on the inside of the 'car iush with the surface of the sheathing, such shapes'extending from top to ybottom of the car and acting to secure such sheathing in place, substantially as described.

3. In a railway car, the combination of metallic frame posts and an interior, long-itudinally extending sheathing, said sheathing on the sides extending from door to en d posts, an angular shape located on the inside of the car flush with the surface ofthe car and acting as a means for securing such sheathing in place, and means for exerting downward force on said shape whereby to tighten-said sheathing, lsubstantially as described.

4. In a railway car, the combination of metallic frame posts, an interior, longitudinally extending sheathing, said sheathing at the sides extending from door to end posts, and a plurality of interior removable posts, said posts acting as the solepmeans for retaining said sheathing against said frame posts, substantially as described.

5. In a railway car, the combination of metallic frame posts, an interior, longitudinally extending sheathing, said sheathing at the sides` extending from door to end posts, and a plurality of interior removable posts, said interior posts having a slidable connection with said frame lposts, said interior posts acting as the sole means for retaining said sheathing in proper relation in saidframe, substantially as described.

6. In a railway car, the combination of metallic frame members, a single interior sheathing, said sheathing extending from door to end posts and from side to side of the car across the ends, a lurality -of flanged interior posts extending rom top t'o bottom of the car and having a slidable connection to said frame members, said flange posts actin as the sole retaining means for said sheat ling, substantially as-described.

7. In a railway car, the combination of metallic frame posts, an interior longitudinally extending sheathing, a Vbracket arranged interiorly of said car and secured to the plate thereof, a post located interiorly' of said car extending from top to bottom thereof and acting as a means for scouring said sheathing against said frame posts, the upper end of said retaining post coperatingpwith said bracket and being retained against lateral movement thereby, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 26th day of September,1913.

VILLIAM E. FOWLER, Sn. In presence of- Cmis. F. MRRAY, T. D. BUTLER. 

